Lancashire Constabulary: Ethnic Balance

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many officers in the Lancashire Constabulary are from families of Asian (Indian sub-continent) origin; what proportion this is of the force; how many of them are deployed respectively in the Eastern and Pennine divisions; and what progress is being made to secure an ethnic balance in the force in line with the local population.

Lord Rooker: The Chief Constable has provided the following information. There are currently 29 officers from Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi families serving with Lancashire Constabulary, which represents 0.9 per cent of the force's strength. The numbers of these officers deployed in the Eastern and Pennine divisions are nine and 10 respectively. The force's minority ethnic officers rose from 42 to 52 during the 12 months up to 31 March 2001: at this rate of increase the force is on plan to meet its 2009 target of reflecting in its workforce the minority ethnic populations which it serves.

Policing of Cannabis

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What standards of performance they expect of the Police Service in relation to the unlawful possession of cannabis resin.

Lord Rooker: There are no specific performance indicators relating to the policing of cannabis. The expectation is that the police will enforce the law, which permits discretion whether to prosecute or to divert an offender from prosecution, for example by formal warning or caution.

Forensic Science Service

Baroness Howells of St Davids: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will lay before Parliament the annual report for the Forensic Science Service.

Lord Rooker: Copies of the Forensic Science Service's annual report and accounts for 2000-01 have today been laid before Parliament.
	Performance against agency targets 2000-01: the Forensic Science Service had eight targets in 2000-01, of which seven were met.
	Financial targets: an 11 per cent return on capital employed was produced against a target of 10 to 15 per cent.
	A three-year rolling efficiency gain of 9 per cent was achieved against a target of 10 per cent. However, there has been a 10 per cent improvement in efficiency gain in the last two years since trading fund.
	Timeliness targets: an average turnaround time of 26 days was achieved against a target of 27 days; this target was rebased from the original target of 24 days to take account of the change in mix of business and work content per job. Ninety-three per cent of agreed delivery dates were achieved against a target of 90 per cent.
	A feasibility study on a target to achieve 99 per cent agreed delivery dates on cases classified as urgent or critical was successfully piloted. As a result, an agreement was reached with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the definition of critical cases and procedures implemented to ensure cases submitted are correctly prioritised.
	Service level target: three service level agreements, three best value agreements and 27 drugs best value agreements have been put in place with police forces.
	Customer satisfaction target: improvements in customer satisfaction have been shown in a pilot of a transactional-based approach. This will be introduced as an agency target next year.
	Quality targets: external quality accreditation has been achieved and extended, including achieving the Investors in People award.
	Agency targets for 2001-02: the targets for 2001-02, the agency's third year of trading fund, are as follows.
	Financial targets: achieve a 10 per cent return on capital employed; achieve a three-year rolling target of a minimum 10 per cent efficiency gain.
	Timeliness targets: achieve a 26-day average turnaround time; meet agreed delivery dates in 97 per cent urgent and critical, 100 per cent of persistent young offenders; achieve 93 per cent of agreed delivery dates in all categories.
	Service level targets: put in place agreements on levels of service with 90 per cent of police forces.
	Customer satisfaction targets: establish a baseline overall measure putting into place routine and robust customer satisfaction measurement processes based on transactional approach and for demonstrating year on year improvements in police (customer) satisfaction; conduct a biennial customer satisfaction survey.
	Quality targets: maintain external quality accreditation to International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards; achieve 50 per cent accreditation to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners in areas which it is registering people.

Parliamentary Cost Comparisons

Viscount Tenby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the annual cost of maintaining the European Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including:
	(a) salaries, pensions, travelling allowances, secretarial expenses and other expenses for Members;
	(b) salaries, allowances and pensions and other costs of support staff; and
	(c) accommodation, including rent, operating costs and security; and
	(d) all other administrative costs such as stationery, office equipment, publications, payments to parliamentary bodies and other relevant outgoings;
	and whether they will indicate the per capita cost per Member as well as the average number of sitting days for each institution for 2000-01 and the previous four years.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information for the years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 was given in my Answer of 22 July 1999 (WA 129-30). The information for 1999-2000 was given in my Answer of 5 July 2000 (WA 133). The information for 2000-01 is as follows:
	
		Total Costs
		
			  £millions 
			 House of Lords 45.7 
			 House of Commons (5) 266.9 
			 European Parliament (1) 597 
			 of which costs to UK is 90.1 
		
	
	
		Per capita cost per member
		
			  £'000 
			 House of Lords (2) 67 
			 House of Commons (6) 405 
			 European Parliament (3) 954 
		
	
	
		Number of sitting days
		
			  Days 
			 House of Lords 168 
			 House of Commons (7) 159 
			 European Parliament (4) 156

Financial Services and Markets Act: Commencement

Lord Dubs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to commence the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The former Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Melanie Johnson MP) announced in March that "N2", the date for commencing the main provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, would be no later than the end of November 2001. I can now confirm that, in lay terms, the new regime will come into effect at midnight on 30 November. For legal reasons, the date named in the Commencement Order will be 1 December. Naming this day will have the effect of commencing the main provisions of the Act from the beginning of that day, which complies with the timescale set by the former Economic Secretary. So far, the Government have secured Parliament's approval for seven statutory instruments subject to affirmative resolution, and made a further 27 statutory instruments subject to the negative resolution procedure.
	We will shortly be making other statutory instruments with a view to enabling the FSA Board to make further provisions of its rulebook at its board meeting on 19 July. The key provisions of the rulebook, of course, were made by the FSA at its board meeting on 21 June.
	In particular, we expect shortly to make the statutory instrument that provides mechanisms by which firms having authority under old law to do financial services business will be "grandfathered" across into permissions to do equivalent business once FSMA commences. The FSA will then be responsible for letting individual firms know their grandfathered permissions.
	From Monday 3 September, we will commence FSA powers to consider applications from financial services firms to modify their grandfathered permissions or the grant of new permissions; 3 September will also be the date from which the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal will consider appeals on decisions taken by the FSA in respect of those applications.
	By the Summer Recess, therefore, the task of implementing the Act will pass substantially to the financial services firms. They will need: to become familiar with the secondary legislation passed by Government; to absorb the provisions of the rule book made by the FSA; to analyse their grandfathered N2 permissions, and consider whether to seek modifications to those permissions; to adapt their procedures; and to train their staff.
	The date set for N2 ensures that the new regime for financial regulation starts after the close of business on the day, week and month, and should further assist financial services firms in making their adjustment.

Schools: Private Sector Involvement

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In what way they intend to involve the private sector in the running of public sector schools.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Green Paper Schools--Building on Success, published in February, set out our intention to develop a new model to enable private or voluntary sector sponsors to take responsibility for weak or failing schools against fixed-term contracts of, for example, five to seven years. This would create a new way for private and voluntary sponsors or existing successful schools to support the management of weak or failing schools.
	We also proposed this option should be extended to successful schools to enable them to work in partnership with external organisations. This might be attractive to schools embarking on a radical improvement strategy or seeking to develop a more distinct identity.
	A White Paper setting out our plans, following consultation on the Green Paper, will be published this month.

Diabetes

Lord Harrison: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they intend to respond to Diabetes UK's recent report Too Many Too Late which highlights the problems of late diagnosis and poor standards of diabetes care; and
	Whether they will invest sufficiently in diabetes care to ensure that the goals of the forthcoming diabetes National Service Framework in England, and their equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are fully achieved; and
	Whether they will ensure that there are adequate numbers of specialist staff and facilities to care for people with diabetes; and
	How they will ensure consistent high quality care for people with diabetes across the United Kingdom.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Diabetes National Service Framework for England, which will be published later this year, will set national standards and define service models to improve the quality of care for people with diabetes. The aim of the framework is to improve health outcomes for people with diabetes by raising the quality of services and reducing variations between them. It will cover the prevention, identification and management of diabetes and its complications.
	National service frameworks put in place strategies to support implementation and establish performance milestones against which progress within an agreed timescale will be measured.

Nursing Care

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what date they intend to bring into effect Section 49 (exclusion of nursing care from community care services) of the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Draft guidelines and draft directions to implement free nursing care for those funding their own care from 1 October will be issued for consultation shortly. Once the consultation is completed, a decision will be taken about the commencement of Section 49 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001. It will need to be brought into effect for different groups at different times.

Nursing Care

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the basis of the calculation of the figure of £80 million to be allocated to health authorities for meeting the cost of nursing care for self-funders from October 2001 to April 2002; and whether this allocation includes any provision for the administration costs to the National Health Service of taking over the funding of nursing care in nursing homes; and
	Whether any additional funding will be made available to health authorities if the proposed £80 million to be allocated to health authorities for meeting the costs of nursing care for self-funders from October 2001 to April 2002 proves inadequate to meet the cost of such nursing care.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government have estimated the additional cost to the Exchequer of providing free nursing care in England to be £80 million in 2001-02. This estimate assumed that nursing care would be provided for approximately 35,000 self-funding nursing home residents.
	This figure includes the costs of assessing the nursing care needed and general administration costs for self-funding clients.
	It will be for health authorities in partnership with primary care groups/trusts to manage their budgets in a way that ensures that people's needs for nursing care are met.

Nursing Care

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether those residents in a nursing home who as a result of the nursing assessment in October are found to require ''continuing National Health Service health care'' will have their fees met from the £80 million allocated for nursing care or from their health authority's current continuing care budget.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: From October 2001, health authorities will have allocations for care by a registered nurse in a nursing home (free nursing care). Anyone in a nursing home or in any other setting who requires continuing National Health Service health care will be funded from health authorities' existing continuing care budget.

Nursing Care

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to make information available on the number of nursing home residents who are found to fall within the ''continuing health care'' eligibility criteria and consequently qualify for fully-funded National Health Service care.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There are no plans to collect this information centrally. Health authorities already monitor the number of people receiving fully-funded National Health Service continuing care in all settings, including nursing homes.

Mayor and Cabinet Executives: Referendums

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will (a) list the dates which have so far been agreed by local authority referendums on adopting a system of executive mayor, or mayor and cabinet; and (b) set out the votes cast and results of those referendums which have so far taken place.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: (a) To date the councils set out below have sent proposals to the Secretary of State for a mayor and cabinet form of executive arrangement. Watford is holding its referendum today and the rest will be holding referendums on whether they should adopt a directly elected mayor and cabinet form of executive on the dates shown below:
	Doncaster on 20 September;
	Kirklees on 4 October;
	Sunderland on 11 October;
	Middlesbrough on 18 October;
	Brighton & Hove also on 18 October;
	Durham (City) in the first week of November 2001;
	Redditch between 1 September and 31 December 2001; and
	Plymouth either in January or February 2002.
	(b) The following councils have held referendums on whether they should adopt a mayor and cabinet form of executive:
	Berwick upon Tweed referendum held on 7 June. No votes were 10,212 and yes votes were 3,617;
	Cheltenham referendum held on 27 June. No votes 16,602 and yes votes 8,083; and
	Gloucester referendum held on 27 June. No votes 16,317 and yes votes 7,731.

Railtrack: Government Investment

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much government money has been invested in Railtrack in each of the last four years; and how much more is planned in the next two years.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: In the last four years, train operating companies (TOCs) have been paid support for passenger rail services (SPRS) by the Franchising Director and, since 1 February 2001, by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). Also, they have been paid grant by passenger transport executives (PTEs). In addition, freight operating companies (FOCs) have been paid freight grants by my department and, since 1 February 2001, by the SRA.
	The table provides, for each financial year 1997-98 to 2000-01, details of SPRS and PTE payments to the TOCs and freight grant payments to the FOCs.
	
		£ million cash prices 
		
			  1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 
			 SPRS payments 1,429 1,196 1,031 847 
			 PTE payments 375 337 312 283 
			 Freight grant payments 21 19 17 35 
		
	
	Since Railtrack was privatised in 1996-97, no public money has been paid direct to the company, but its profitability is contingent on public money. Some 90 per cent of Railtrack's income is paid to the company by TOCs and FOCs in access charges, a substantial proportion of which are supported by public money.
	In future, Railtrack will continue to receive income from TOCs and FOCs, the large majority of which will continue to receive subsidy from the SRA and PTEs. In addition, the company will receive network grants from the SRA. While the precise amounts of those grants will depend on future movements in the retail prices index, payments are expected to be of the order of £505 million in 2001-02 and £900 million in 2002-03.

Appellate Committee: Audibility

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What progress has been made in improving the audibility of proceedings before the Appellate Committee.

Lord Tordoff: During the Summer Recess of 2001 new sound amplification systems are to be installed in Committee Rooms 1, 2 and 3. At the same time, the rooms will be double-glazed to reduce disturbing noise from the river, and air conditioning will be provided.